- The Pixel Watch 4 has been named the best smartwatch for reparability, over the Apple Watch
- iFixit did a breakdown of the Pixel Watch 4, praising it for visible screws and easy access into the watch’s mechanism
- The outlet also addressed the watch’s battery, naming it a ‘truly replaceable smartwatch battery’
When Google unveiled the Pixel Watch 4, we were excited to see a whole host of new features, from its upgraded battery life to its new slick domed screen – but its replaceable parts topped our list, which goes forgotten for a lot of wearable tech.
The option to be able to repair your own tech is quite a common request among consumers, and has been for some time.
While most of the best phones have been amended to cater to this request, wearables are still overlooked in the reparability department, but Google is changing that with the Pixel Watch 4, a device that iFixit has crowned the most reparable smartwatch out there – even beating out the Apple Watch.
What has changed?
In its breakdown of the Pixel Watch 4, iFixit , a company that posts repair breakdowns of devices and sells toolkits to do so, drew attention to a number of new design elements making it easier for consumers to repair their own devices. This bumps its Pixel Watch 4 score to a 9/10 for reparability.
That’s significant compared to the low 3s and 4s it’s given to similar devices in the past, as most smartwatches arrive as sealed units and require specialist services such as AppleCare.
First and foremost, the outlet summarizes Google’s latest smartwatch simply; “Gone is the glue, the frustration, and the heartbreak. In its place: screws, seals, and pure design joy”.
What stands out to iFixit immediately is the visibility of the Pixel Watch 4’s screws, deeming it “a good sign”, but Google takes it even further by giving each screw its own O-ring keeping its IP68 water resistance intact – but still allows easy access inside the watch.
According to iFixit, it managed to get inside the watch within minutes just by using three Torx Plus bits (1IP, 2IP, and 5IP), a spudger, and tweezers. This allows you to access the inside of the watch via the rear.
From there, you can even remove the main display as there’s no glue holding it in place, which iFixit describes as a “complete rethink of smartwatch design”. Then there’s the matter of the battery.
Once you’ve mastered the above, this will give you access to the Pixel Watch’s battery, which iFixit managed to remove and swap out by removing its two screws and connector – a ‘truly replaceable smartwatch battery’.
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rowan.davies@futurenet.com (Rowan Davies)
